NEGASH ALI TO RELEASE NEW EP IN FEBRUARY....
"Negash Ali is in the UK and I gotta say we should just adopt him as a UK resident- his music is on point!" Semtex, BBC 1Xtra
"Negash Ali is really one to watch out for this year" MTV UK
London-based, Eritrean artist/songwriter Negash Ali releases his brand new single ‘Lionheart’, the lead track to be taken from his upcoming EP, due for release in February 2015.
On ‘Lionheart’, Ali displays all the makings of an engaging urban artist that one would expect considering his outstanding portfolio, which includes having penned ‘Get Twisted’, a song for Jadakiss featuring Chris Brown. Here, he debuts on production, in collaboration with Playminds/Jacob Vidkjær, and effortlessly demonstrates how to execute a soulful R’n’B hook with an unassailable rap verse. The singer describes ’Lionheart’ as a ’story of tough love: the continuous problem of having a hard time giving in to the counterpart of the relationship, and thus in a strange way desiring to experience shared pain in order to have further trust.’
The 24 year-old Eritrean has certainly led a tough, more extraordinary life than most. In 1990, at just 16 years of age, and whilst pregnant with Negash, Ali’s mother was forced to flee the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia in the hopes of a better life for her one-year-old daughter and unborn child in Europe.
Ali spent his first five years of life in various refugee camps in Denmark before the family was granted asylum in 1995, settling in the city of Aarhus. Growing up, Ali always knew he wanted to be an artist and his talent was recognised at the tender age of 13 when he got his first artist development deal. By 16, he’d had success in Denmark as part of the group Majors, which also consisted of DMC winner DJ Noize.
Negash began his solo career in 2009 and has since brought out two albums: ‘Asmarino’ and 2012’s ‘GettoPOP’, as well as an EP earlier this year entitled ‘The African Dream’, which received support from BBC 1Xtra and was featured on The Huffington Post, The Source, MTV UK, Respect Magazine and SBTV, to name a few.
The quality of Ali’s releases has opened some incredible doors for this young artist, with his Jadakiss songwriting credits having led to him signing an international publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music. Since then, Negash has been busy working with the likes of Lucas Secon (Christina Aguilera, Cee-Lo), Viktoria Hansen (Alicia Keys), Alexander James (Flo Rida, Jason Derulo), S-X (Tinie Tempah, Dappy), David Dawood (Blue, Busta Rhymes), Pantha (Cheryl Cole/Wiley) and Focus (Charlie Brown).
A gripping single with real heart, the powerful melodies and hooks of ‘Lionheart’ are only set to enhance the already impressive career of this remarkable man and musician.
SOCIAL MEDIA